TIP SEAL TILT VALVE
A valve is provided that includes a tip seal assembly, a mounting cup that has a hole, and a housing that is connected to the mounting cup. The tip seal assembly has a first portion through the hole forming a gap between the mounting cup and the first portion of the tip seal assembly. The tip seal assembly has a second portion in the housing. A shell seal is between the housing and the tip seal assembly covering the gap. The shell seal is deformable to form an opening between the housing and the tip seal assembly upon application of a predetermined pressure through the gap.
1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a tip seal tilt valve. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a tip seal tilt valve for pressurized dispensing containers.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Many different types of products are sold in containers that incorporate tip valves to enable a consumer to access the contents of the container. For example, products such as expanding foam shaving gel, expanding foam toothpaste, a variety of food products and expanding foam hair products, are sold in containers that have tip valves. A consumer deflects a tilt valve on a container containing the product to release the product from the container.
Such expanding foam products can cause “after drool” where the volume of product remaining in any product channel downstream of the valve seal expands and extrudes out from the product delivery orifice of the container.
The methods and systems described below reduce or prevent such “after drool” or unwanted dispense of the product, for example, so that a volume of food product exposed to atmosphere is reduced to close to zero after the valve closes and therefore minimizes the potential for degradation.
The present disclosure also provides many additional advantages, which shall become apparent as described below.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREThe present disclosure provides a valve that includes a tip seal assembly, a housing and a mounting cup. The mounting cup has a hole. The tip seal assembly has a first portion through the hole forming a gap between the mounting cup and the first portion of the tip seal assembly. The housing is connected to the mounting cup. The tip seal assembly has a second portion in the housing. A shell seal is between the housing and the tip seal assembly covering the gap. The shell seal is deformable to form an opening between the housing and the tip seal assembly upon application of a predetermined pressure through the gap.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be understood by reference to the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims.
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Rim 132 and crimp 160 and 560 prevent or eliminate the possibility of the product being forced into container 315 during the product pressure filling process.
Shell 105 profile is contoured. Gap 170 between cup 115 and shell 105 has an increase in width by a reduction in an outside diameter of shell 105 at shoulder 145, as shown in
Stem 110 is ‘necked’ or has pivot point 155 to both reduce force to move valve 100, 500 from the closed dispense position to the open dispensed position and to establish a specific pivot point for the differential movement between the stem 110 and shell 105 components thus providing consistent opening product-flow profile.
Tip seal 150 downstream end is shaped to utilize container 300 internal pressure to supplement the mechanical spring pressure of spring 125 to ensure a positive seal at rest—tests may prove that a spring may not be needed for valve 100, 500 to function satisfactorily—this may be advantageous for products where exposure to metal components may cause degradation.
Valve 100, 500 improves a sealing function by providing conformance to shell 105 top surface contour and orifice geometry. Seal ring 135 and/or stem ring 140 intensifies the sealing performance by concentrating the closing force of the valve spring and canister pressure over a smaller surface area.
The distance of tip seal 150 from aperture 133 reduces or eliminates “after drool” or unwanted dispense of the product by minimizing product channels downstream of tip seal 150.
It should also be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like may be used herein to modify various elements. These modifiers do not imply a spatial, sequential, or hierarchical order to the modified elements unless specifically stated.
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed as the best mode contemplated, but that the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling in the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A valve comprising:
- a tip seal assembly, said tip seal assembly having a first portion and a second portion;
- a mounting cup having a hole, said first portion of said tip seal assembly through said hole forming a gap between said mounting cup and said first portion;
- a housing connected to said mounting cup, said second portion of said tip seal assembly being in said housing;
- a shell seal between said housing and said tip seal assembly covering said gap, said shell seal being deformable to form an opening between said housing and said tip seal assembly upon application of a predetermined pressure through said gap.
2. The valve of claim 1, wherein said tip seal assembly has a shell and a stem inside said shell.
3. The valve of claim 2, wherein said gap is increased in width by a reduction in an outside diameter of said shell at a shoulder that becomes adjacent to said hole when said tip seal assembly is depressed in a direction of a force applied during a filling operation.
4. The valve of claim 1, wherein the mounting cup has a crimp that extends around a rim of the housing preventing a product in a bag from being forced into a container having propellant therein during a product pressure filling process.
5. The valve of claim 2, wherein said stem has a flexible portion connected to a base, and wherein said flexible portion has a pivot point and a tip seal covering an aperture through said shell.
6. The valve of claim 5, wherein said tip seal has a shape that is urged against said shell by a flow of propellant.
7. The valve of claim 5, wherein when a force is applied to said tip seal assembly to move said tip seal assembly from a closed dispensed position to an open dispense position, said flexible portion moves about said pivot point so said pivot point bends in a direction of said force and said tip seal moves away from said aperture through said shell forming a separation between said tip seal and said shell.
8. The valve of claim 7, wherein, in said open dispense position, the valve has product that is urged toward said tip seal between said housing and said stem, between said shell and said stem and through said separation, and out of said aperture to dispense said product out of the valve.
9. The valve of claim 2, wherein said tip seal has a pressure applied to said tip seal by a flow of a product that applies a pressure to an underside surface of said shell that supports said tip seal.
10. The valve of claim 2, wherein said shell has a seal ring above said tip seal that has a width that is smaller than portions of said shell adjacent to said seal ring to concentrate a closing force over a smaller surface area.
11. The valve of claim 2, wherein said shell has a stem ring below said tip seal that has a width that is smaller than portions of said shell adjacent to said seal ring to concentrate a closing force over a smaller surface area.
12. A tip seal assembly comprising:
- a shell; and
- a stem inside said shell, said stem having a flexible portion connected to a base, and said flexible portion having a pivot point and a tip seal covering an aperture through said shell, said pivot point and said tip seal are on opposite sides of said flexible portion, and said tip seal having a shape that is urged against said shell by a flow of propellant.
13. The tip seal assembly of claim 12, wherein said shell has a reduction in an outside diameter at a shoulder.
14. The tip seal assembly of claim 12, wherein when a force is applied to the tip seal assembly to move the tip seal assembly from a closed dispensed position to an open dispense position, said flexible portion moves about said pivot point so said pivot point bends in a direction of said force and said tip seal moves away from said aperture through said shell forming a separation between said tip seal and said shell.
15. The valve of claim 12, wherein said tip seal has a pressure applied to said tip seal by a flow of a product that applies a pressure to an underside surface of said shell that supports said tip seal.
16. The valve of claim 12, wherein said shell has a seal ring above said tip seal that has a width that is smaller than portions of said shell adjacent to said seal ring to concentrate a closing force over a smaller surface area.
17. The valve of claim 12, wherein said shell has a stem ring below said tip seal that has a width that is smaller than portions of said shell adjacent to said seal ring to concentrate a closing force over a smaller surface area.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 14, 2014
Publication Date: Feb 4, 2016
Inventors: John B. FORE (Travelers Rest, SC), Geoffrey BRACE (Columbus, NC)
Application Number: 14/776,116